[The greatest fortune in a man's life is to discover his purpose.]
[To find it not in times of triumph, but amidst the ruins of loss, the shackles of despair, when all seems forfeit and the path ahead shrouded in darkness.]
[Even if the road leads to a bottomless abyss, even if his fate is sealed in oblivion, he still casts a gaze of cold defiance, unafraid of the sacrifice that awaits.]
[Even if the one he saves bears the weight of every sin, even if that very person is the one who drove him to the precipice of ruin. His resolve remains unshaken, his heart pure. His unwavering faith, his inherent nobility, inspires generations to come, a flame burning bright against the encroaching darkness.]
[In this gamble where everything is at stake, they raise the torch of rebellion against the gods themselves. He, who stands at the apex of existence, guardian of humanity's future, engages in a deadly wager with the invaders of this world. He looks towards his distant homeland, carrying the fervent hopes of civilization on his shoulders.]
—Excerpt from "Rhys: Apex Player," one of the top three most popular posts on the Human Forum after the game began on 12/13/2035 (future).
…
…
YOU DIED.
The crimson words seared themselves onto Rhys's vision, a bloody brand across his consciousness, constricting his heart. He gasped, sweat trickling down his temples. He'd never imagined such an ordinary day could twist into something so… final.
…
THREE HOURS EARLIER
"Ding-dong! World Game loading…"
Rhys rubbed his eyes, thinking he was hallucinating from another late night editing videos. Eighteen years old, a freshman history major with a penchant for philosophy and detective novels, he also moonlighted as a moderately successful horror game streamer. Today had been utterly normal. Straight after calculus, he'd been summoned to a coffee shop by someone claiming to be from Bilibili, the video-sharing platform he used.
"Mr. Kael? Mr. Kael?"
A woman with hair like a cascade of red rose petals sat across from him. Her voice was soft, her gaze inviting. "We'd like to invite you to participate in a live-action game."
"Live-action? I'm not really interested," Rhys replied. He was a faceless streamer; the idea of being on camera held no appeal.
The woman slid a jet-black card across the table. "This game is… different. Why don't you take a look?"
Rhys glanced down. Blood-red letters, almost as if drawn in actual blood, stood out against the black.
THE WORLD IS YOUR ARENA. LIVES ARE YOUR CURRENCY.
MULTIPLAYER ONLINE. INFINITE DUNGEONS. REALISTIC WORLD. EPIC BATTLES!
GLOBAL PLAYERS. FIERCE COMPETITION. THE ULTIMATE GAME. AWAITS YOU.
Rhys scoffed. The whole thing reeked of amateur hour. He tossed the card back. "Not interested." He turned to leave.
"Leaving now means choosing a very specific path," the woman said, a strange smile playing on her lips. "But if that's your decision…"
Rhys didn't stop.
She watched him go, making no attempt to stop him. "You'll be back…"
…
A truck roared past, spraying Rhys with dirty water. He jumped back, narrowly avoiding a soaking.
"Asshole! Slow down!" a pedestrian yelled after the receding vehicle.
Rhys pressed a hand to his ringing ear, massaging his temples.
World Game loading…
The faint whisper persisted, a nagging presence since last night. He couldn't shake the feeling that something momentous was about to happen. He hailed a cab. He was due at a high school classmate's birthday party that evening. The radio droned on:
"…The Veridian Scientific Institute's cardiovascular transplant team announced that the 'Dual Heart Procedure' has entered a critical experimental phase. The theory suggests combining two hearts could significantly extend human lifespan. This is still experimental. Please do not attempt to replicate…"
Rhys was taken aback. That kind of potentially dangerous information shouldn't be broadcast publicly. One heart, one life. That was nature's rule. There were no "rights" in biology, only organs, functions, and traits. To forcibly take another's heart meant inevitably taking their life. The implications were disturbing: black markets, exploitation, manipulation, moral dilemmas, the sacrifice of the many for the few.
"Twelve bucks," the driver announced, pulling up to the curb.
Rhys paid and walked to the door, knocking lightly.
Eleanor, his classmate and the birthday girl, greeted him. Her makeup was minimal but carefully applied, her eyes luminous in the soft light, like a misty sky promising a storm.
She led him inside, her hand warm in his. Rhys realized he was the first to arrive. Eleanor's distant relative, Liu Anna, was busy in the kitchen preparing dinner. The air was thick with the scent of incense.
"Where's everyone else?" Rhys asked. "Running late?"
"Maybe… they'll be here soon," Eleanor murmured.
A girl in an apron, the fading light, the quiet intimacy… He'd heard rumors that Eleanor had a crush on him, but he'd dismissed them. He was just an average college student. Aside from his gaming skills, his love of philosophy, his history studies, his public speaking talent, and his uncanny ability to master any video game… he was unremarkable.
Eleanor sat beside him, silent, just watching him.
"Something wrong?" he asked.
"Rhys," she began, "what do you want to do after graduation?"
"Uh… maybe freelance something," he replied.
"Why history, then?"
"I want to know about our future," Rhys said. "And I've heard that to know the future, you have to understand the past."
Eleanor smiled, her eyes crinkling into crescents.
Feeling obligated to reciprocate her interest, he asked, "What about you, Eleanor? What do you want to do?"
Her expression shifted, a flicker of something unreadable in her eyes. The light seemed to soften around her, as if she were a figure in an old master painting.
"I want to see the ocean," she said finally.
"That's it? See the ocean?"
"Yes," Eleanor replied. "I've never seen it. It's only a hundred miles from here; I've had countless opportunities. But sometimes, the things we want most are the easiest to miss."
She paused. "Besides seeing the ocean… I want to be a journalist. I want to understand the struggles of trapped miners, the stories of the impoverished, the raw, bloody truth of the world. I want to give voice to the voiceless. I want… to live a life that matters."
Rhys was speechless. He had no idea how the conversation had taken such a serious turn. She wanted a life of meaning, a life beyond the ivory tower and the predictable nine-to-five. A life of passion and purpose. But such a life was hard to come by.
"Try a cookie," Eleanor offered, holding out an osmanthus cookie.
As Rhys reached for it—
Eleanor lunged.
Most guys would be thrilled to have the class beauty practically throw herself at them. But Rhys was instantly wary. Something felt wrong. His hand instinctively went to the small knife he always carried for protection.
Eleanor slapped his hand away, sending the knife clattering to the floor. Only then did Rhys realize his strength had vanished, silently, insidiously.
The incense… Was it drugged?
"What are you doing?" His voice was cold.
Eleanor ignored him, staring at the glint of the fallen blade. "You carry this? I know you have insecurities, but did you really think you needed to protect yourself from me?"
Carrying the knife was a habit, one he'd never expected to need. But why would Eleanor drug him? What was she planning?
"I…" he started to speak.
"Shh…"
She raised a spray bottle, aiming it directly at his face.
As he inhaled the mist, the last of his strength ebbed away. Her voice, soft and close to his ear, was like a feather's caress.
"I just… I just love you…"
…
"…Stay with me… forever."
…
Rhys's eyes fluttered closed.
A sharp pain pierced his chest, a searing agony. His heart gave a final, shuddering beat, and then… silence.
She… she'd killed him.
Why?
They'd just been talking about the sky and the sea…
…
WORLD GAME HAS OFFICIALLY BEGUN.
INDIVIDUAL TUTORIAL LEVEL FAILED. RATING: D. COMMENCING GLOBAL GAME OPENING CEREMONY…
UNKNOWN ERROR. RETURN SUSPENDED!
…
…
A new voice, warm and masculine, cut through the cold, impersonal system notifications.
ESTABLISHING WORLD LINE… CALCULATING WORLD OUTCOMES…
CALCULATIONS COMPLETE. GAME START.
DAWN'S WATCHMAN, PLAYER BE3030, WELCOME BACK.
THE POWER TO DEFY DEATH HAS BEEN GRANTED. THE WORLD AWAITS.
YOU, WHO STAND ALONE AT THE EDGE OF TIME, MUST DO EVERYTHING IN YOUR POWER… TO END THIS GAME OF FATE.
"YOU WILL KNOW DESPAIR. YOU WILL KNOW HOPE."
"YOU WILL LOSE EVERYTHING. YOU WILL GAIN EVERYTHING."
"YOU WILL SAVE EVERYONE. YOU WILL KILL EVERYONE."
"YOU WILL WRITE EVERY NAME. YOU WILL ERASE EVERY NAME."
"YOU WILL BECOME THE BEST VERSION OF YOURSELF. YOU WILL BECOME THE WORST."
"YOU WILL LEARN THE SECRETS OF EVERY HEART, FORGING UNBREAKABLE BONDS."
"YOU WILL DISCOVER EVERY WEAKNESS, INFLICTING UNSPEAKABLE PAIN."
"YOU WILL WITNESS EVERY FATE, BURYING FAILED TIMELINES IN OBLIVION."
"YOU WILL CRAFT NEW REALITIES, ETCHING TRIUMPHS IN ETERNITY."
"YOU WILL ENDURE AGES OF GLORY AND BILLIONS OF DEATHS. AN EXISTENCE OF PAIN AND BEAUTY, OF WONDER AND MONOTONY."
"BUT… YOU WILL CHOOSE THIS PATH OF NO RETURN… WON'T YOU?"
…
What…? Rhys struggled to comprehend the torrent of words.
…
A BRIGHT FUTURE AWAITS.
The voice faded.
…
YOU HAVE DIED. RESPAWN?